MacNews Latest News

Jan 09

Apple updates iWork apps for OS X, iOS

Apple has updated its iWork apps for Mac OS X and iOS. Those apps are Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.

In the update notes, Apple only says that the upgrades offer "bug fixes and stability improvement. Keynote for OS X has been update to version 6.5.2, with Pages at 5.5.2, and Numbers at 3.5.2. The three iOS apps have all been revved to version 2.5.2.

The Mac versions can be downloaded from the Mac App Store. The iOS versions can be found at the Apple App Store.

Via drag and drop, AppDelete will uninstall anything along with all of the associated items. Version 4.1.5 fixes an outstanding bug in the registration system that could cause a user to register multiple times, and fixes several bugs that could occur when using the Genius feature.

AppDelete 4.1.4 costs US$7.99 for a single user license. Upgrades from Version 2/AppDelete Lite are $3.99. A demo is available.

Twocanoes Labs (www.twocanoes.com) is launching their full line of Bleu Proximity Beacon Solutions at the National Retail Federation Expo in New York Jan. 11-13, 2015.

Among their new products will be the Bleu Station 300 Series, an all weather battery powered hardware beacon. Twocanoes is also rolling out new security bracket accessories to physically secure their Series 100 and 200 beacons.

Bleu Station beacons are available for deployment now with upgradable firmware for the future. Twocanoes Labs also offers hardware and integration support for developers building their own solutions. Twocanoes Labs provides deployment tools as well as access to the Bleu Station Admin SDK [software development kit] for integrating beacons into existing apps with no monthly activation costs.

All Bleu Station beacons are compatible with iBeacon-enabled apps, including Bleu Meetings, Geohopper, Bleu JSS, Bleu...

According to the folks at SweetP Productions, there's nothing to configure, no favorites, no whitelists, and no blacklists. Privatus works in the background, clearing all unwanted data when you close your browser session. All the major Mac OS X browsers are supported: Safari, WebKit, Firefox, Chrome, Chromium, and even Camino.

Privatus works with Mac OS X 10.9 or later. It's available free at the Mac App Store and from SweetP Productions online (http://sweetpproductions.com).

This March Quark Software will roll out QuarkXPress 2015, the next major version of Quark’s design and layout tool for print and digital publishing professionals.

In addition to features already announced, including new 64-bit architecture and the top 10 most user-requested features, QuarkXPress 2015 will support PDF/X-4 output, the latest standard that allows better, faster printing. QuarkXPress 2015 will also continue to be sold as a perpetual license.

According to the folks at Quark, the upgrade will allow users to create PDF/X-4 files. The exported PDF/X-4 files are certified with the same technology used inside Adobe Acrobat. With this latest standard, designers can preserve transparency to enable faster output, smaller files and higher quality print output.

Until Feb. 25, everyone who purchases or upgrades to QuarkXPress 10 will receive a free upgrade to QuarkXPress 2015 when it's

Spike Software has announced Audio Switcher 2.0.5, an update to its menubar applet utility for Mac OS X.

Audio Switcher allows you to switch your audio input and output between different audio devices. It supports a range of devices, as well as the built-in audio hardware of your Mac desktop or laptop. Version 2.0.5 offers the ability to exclude devices from the menu and the Levels and Defaults preferences tabs.

Audio Switcher requires Mac OS X 10.7 or later. Version 2.0.5 costs US$4.99 and is available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Utilities category. Current users can receive the free update via the Mac Store. Visit Spike Software online (http://www.spikesoft.net) for more information, support and to leave feedback.

At this week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Seagate has unveiled two new storage products for the home: the Seagate Personal Cloud and the Seagate Personal Cloud 2-Bay. They're designed to "provide the accessibility of cloud storage with the peace of mind that content is stored safely at home."

They can stream content to smartphones, set-top boxes, tablets, PCs or televisions via the Seagate Media application. Additionally, when used in conjunction with the acclaimed Seagate Mobile Backup app and Dashboard software, Seagate Personal Cloud also serves as a central backup device for PCs, Mac computers, USB drives, iOS devices, and Android gadgets.

The Seagate Personal Cloud is also designed to automatically and continuously back up every computer in the home. For Macs and Windows-based PCs, the Seagate Dashboard software provides a way to protect your content. Personal Cloud devices also work with Apple Time Machine software.

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Samson (http://www.samsontech.com) has unveiled the US$39.99 Meteorite, an universal solution for capturing high-quality recordings on your computer.

It's designed for podcasting, creating audio for YouTube videos and recording music on your favorite software or apps. It's also build to improve your ability to communicate with friends, family and business associates on programs like Skype, FaceTime and other VoIP software.

According to the folks at Samson, Meteorite presents an immediate improvement over your computer’s internal microphone, bypassing the computers standard mic capsule and noisy sound card, in favor of the Meteorite’s 14mm capsule and dedicated audio conversion path.

It mounts to a magnetic base that lets you tilt and swivel the microphone to customize its positioning to your exact preferences. You can even take the...

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Divooom has released the Voombox-Party speaker. It includes a built-in subwoofer with dual passive radiators and five drivers that feature two-inch, full-range drivers, one three-inch subwoofer and dual passive radiators.

The Voombox-Party delivers 20 watts of sounds. Created with the latest Near Field Communication (NFC), the speaker pairs with NFC-enabled devices by lightly tapping the devices together. Additionally, the speaker doubles as a speakerphone, allowing users to take make and take calls.

The Voombox-Party is also weather-resistant. The speaker’s rechargeable battery lasts up to 10 hours. The speaker delivers up to eight hours of battery life and charges via micro-USB. The Voombox-Party will available in black or silver toward the end of January at a manufacture's suggested retail price of US$119 at divoom.com.

LifeProof (www.lifeproof.com) has announced a waterproof battery case for the iPhone 6 and the LifeActiv universal accessory line. The LifeProof fre is a "four-proof" case, designed for maximum protection against water, drops, dust and snow.

Itincludes a built-in screen protector and full access to all device features and functions. fre Power not only provides protection from the elements, but also adds an additional 2,600 mAh of battery power. The lithium ion battery purportedly doubles the iPhone 6 battery life, while smart charging technology automatically shuts the case off when the device is fully charged.

According to the folks at LifeProof, the fre Power is waterproof to 6.6 feet, for one hour, drop proof up to 6.6 feet and is totally enclosed from dirt and snow when the case and all ports are sealed. It meets military standards for shock and impact protection.

Reach79 has released a smartphone case that can improve a device’s signal strength up to 2X, optimizing performance and resulting in better communications.

CEO David Vigil says Reach79 cases have been tested at CETECOM, a CTIA accredited test facility, and verified to improve a phone’s signal strength by an average of 1.6X, with peak performance of over 2X. He adds that, while user experience may vary depending on device, carrier, and location, consumers can expect to see several benefits from Reach79, including:

Econ Technologies (econtechnologies.com) has updated ChronoAgent for Mac to version 1.5. The upgrade sports an re-worked Advanced panel. The improvements allow for faster syncs and a greater control over network settings,

ChronoSync is an application that runs on a Mac that can synchronize, backup, and create bootable backups. ChronoAgent is a utility that runs on a destination Mac and communicates directly with ChronoSync running on another Mac.

ChronoAgent replaces Apple File Sharing providing a direct connection with full access to the destination Mac. ChronoSync costs US$40 and ChronoAgent is $10; all existing ChronoSync and ChronoAgent users update for free.

ChronoSync runs on the source Mac and ChronoAgent runs on the destination Mac giving you a direct connection between two Macs. With ChronoSync on your Mac, you can synchronize, backup, and create bootable backups to anything you can connect to your Mac. ChronoAgent runs on a Mac and provides a direct...

Patriot (www.patriotmem.com) has launched its latest addition to the solid-state drive (SSD) market: the Patriot Ignite SATA III SSD. Boasting the company’s largest capacity SSD yet, the Ignite will be available to consumers in capacities of 480GB and 960GB.

The Patriot Ignite utilizes the new Phison S10 controller to reach a maximum sequential read and write speeds of up to 560MB/s and 545MB/s respectively and backed by a SATA III 6.0 Gb/s interface, according to Les Henry, vice president of Engineering. "We were able to hit scores above 1000 using the AS SSD benchmark test with these drives, he adds.

The Ignite is backed by a three-year warranty. In addition, it comes with features such as end-to-end data protection, advanced wear-leveling, smartECC and Smart Refresh, designed with a standard 2.5 inch form factor. The Ignite SSD will be available for purchase later this month at online and in-store...

At this week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, The Tiffin Company (www.tiffen.com) unveiled its new Zing Designs imageTAKER product collection. The lineup features portable cases custom designed for the iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini, as well as portable Neoprene pouches and a Neoprene stretch utility and camera strap for carrying imaging accessories.

"We analyzed every aspect of the tablet photography process and came up with a patent-pending collection of cases that dramatically increase the protection, comfort and usability of iPads when capturing images on the go," says Steve Tiffen, President and CEO, The Tiffen Company. "Tiffen’s new Zing imageTAKER designs let iPad owners wear their devices much like they would a point and shoot camera or DSLR, providing easy access for capturing the world’s greatest images."

The Zing imageTAKER collection is a line of Neoprene iPad cases, accessory...

At this week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, BRAVEN (www.braven.com) announced it was expanding its design series speaker collection with the launch of three super-premium Wireless Bluetooth speakers, the BRAVEN 1100, BRAVEN 2200b and BRAVEN 2300b.

They're available in different colors and sprot BRAVEN Balance, a proprietary bass optimization system that pumps out deep rich sound even at lower volumes, according to BRAVEN CEO Andy Fathollahi. The 1100 is a HD Bluetooth speaker that supports aptX encoded audio and features hands-free phone calls with a built-in internal microphone and speakerphone.

It's also equipped with TrueWireless technology to pair with a second BRAVEN 800-series, 1100, or BRV-HD speaker for true left and right stereo channel sound. It will be available in the second quarter of 2015 in black, dark gray, light gray, red, orange and blue for US$249.99.

OGIO has given us the Apollo and Ascent active backpacks. The Apollo (US$79.99) and the Ascent ($99.99) are now available at Ogio.com and retailers nationwide.

To solve the lack of protection that plagues most day packs, OGIO’s design team integrated padded spaces tailored to the active professional’s everyday gear including smartphones, tablets and laptops, says says Dan Jelinek, vice president of Lifestyle at OGIO. Additionally, the packs are crafted with convenience in mind, featuring an easy to access pocket located at the top of the bag and an organizational layout that allows users to carry a variety of daily tools. he adds.

OGIO designers injected the look and feel of an outdoor-friendly pack into the exterior design by tapering the shape of a traditional backpack and incorporating a slightly narrowed back panel to provide the wearer more freedom of movement. The team also used mountaineering-spec materials like high tensile-strength rip-stop nylon, to...

At this week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, BodyGuardz (www.bodyguardz.com) announced the Crown, which was created to protect the curved edges of today’s hottest mobile devices. It's patent-pending solution available exclusively from BodyGuardz, says President/CEO Kirk Feller.

The Crown is a custom-molded rim made of anodized aluminum, designed to fit around ScreenGuardz Pure and provide a protective solution. Distinct from traditional screen protectors, the it provides edge-to-edge screen protection for rounded edge devices such as the iPhone 6 and Galaxy Note 4, says Feller.

The Crown will be available in February for the iPhone 6 (US$39.95), 6 Plus ($44.95), and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 ($44.95).

Scosche (www.scosche.com) has introduced a new member to the boomBOTTLE family: the boomBOTTLE + (plus), a portable Bluetooth speaker designed for streaming music while biking, hiking, camping and more.

The weatherproof, two 55mm driver equipped speaker features an IP67 rating (water and dust proof), dual pairing that produces true stereo sound when two boomBOTTLE + speakers are used and up to 11 hours of streaming. This speaker will be included in Scosche’s expanding Optimized for OUTDOORS series of rugged products designed to withstand harsh outdoor environments.

It features a shock absorbing TPU exterior designed to withstand drops or vibrations caused from rough terrain, plus non-slip side finger grip areas. The boomBOTTLE + is constructed with sealed dustproof speaker grills to keep the dirt out during backcountry rides. It also fits into most bicycle bottle cages, so you can take it with you while on...

Satechi’s BT Button Series, announced at CES 2015, allows users to achieve wireless accessibility with a single press of a button. This trilogy series consists of a BT Shutter Button, BT Media Button and BT Home button, which users can tote on their key chains, steering wheel or dashboard to access several aspects of their smart devices including photos, music and GPS directions.

The BT Button Series boasts a slim aluminum metal design and is compatible with most iOS devices supporting Bluetooth and Android OS 4.4.4 or later. Each plug and play button is packaged with a mount, audio port keychain attachment, integrated 3M sticker for easy attachment, and CR2016 battery, which purportedly lasts for up to two years.

With Satechi’s BT Shutter Button, you can group photos and video recordings. Tap the Shutter Button and the paired smart device will begin recording or taking photos immediately.

The BT Media Button allows users to control the soundtrack of their...

Other World Computing (www.macsales.com) has announced a new 1TB model of theOWC EnvoyPro EX ultra-portable SSD.

Designed in anodized aluminum to match modern Macs and PCs, it fits into a coat pocket, backpack, or briefcase. The heart of the Envoy Pro EX is an OWC Aura Pro 6G SSD that reportedly offers real world sustained reads up to 436MB/s and writes up to 429MB/s. It's bus-powered for maximum portability.

The OWC Envoy Pro EX is available immediately in the following configurations: 240GB for US$249; 480GB for $399; and 1TB for $599.

Here's how the game is described: "Dead Effect is a highly addictive single-player game, in which the ESS Meridian spacecraft is traveling through space with a new FTL technology, heading towards its destination, Tau Ceti f, the first planet outside of our solar system ever to be colonized.

"One of the crew members is awakened from cryogenic sleep, and quickly discovers that the nightmare has only begun. What happened to everyone aboard? Why are they all so aggressive, and why do they attack without any survival instincts?

"Dead Effect features not only a compelling story, but also incredibly immersive gameplay. You play the role of a character and member of Unit 13, an elite peace-keeping unit...

Softobe has introduced PageMeUp 1.1 (http://tinyurl.com/ozgvtyr), an update to the layout editor for Mac OS X 10.8 or higher. It's a maintenance upgrade with some bug fixes and performance tweaks.

With PageMeUp, you create a document, choose its page format, size and background color, set the margins, bleed, custom guides, rows and columns and even apply RGB or CMYK ICC color profiles. Then you can drag, import or paste images and text onto the PageMeUp document and place/resize them on the page.

Reezaa has announced PDF Editor Mac 3.0, an update to their free PDF application for Mac OS X.

The utility allows you to add text, erase content, and insert images into your PDF file. You can also rotate the PDF orientation, draw lines, change font size and color of text, and add a watermark to each page. Additionally, PDF Editor Mac provides a choice of exporting the PDF to other formats and can permanently save the modified PDF content changes.

iDevices has announced an Apple HomeKit-enabled product: the iDevices Switch (http://idevicesinc.com/switch/). This Bluetooth Smart and Wi-Fi compatible connected plug is set to start shipping during the first half of 2015.

Through a free iDevices Connected app, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users can control, monitor and schedule products around the house with the iDevices Switch. Hundreds of appliances such as lamps, fans, humidifiers, Christmas lights and stereos can be intelligently managed through the device.

The iDevices Switch plugs directly into an electrical outlet, and connects to a home’s Wi-Fi network. Once you download the iDevices Connected app from the iTunes Store, you can instantly control any product you have plugged into the Switch through an iOS device.

Pie In The Sky: A Pizza Odyssey 1.0
Device: iOS Universal
Category: Games
Price: $2.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes)
Description:
A game about delivering pizza. In space.
| Read more »

Chosen Gives Hopeful Singers, Songwriter...

If YouTube videos and reality TV shows like The Voice have taught us one thing, it’s that there are a lot of people out there who are anxious to show the world their talents. And if they’ve taught us a second thing, it’s that there’s an almost equally sizable group of people who are anxious to judge those hopefuls. What’s interesting about Chosen... | Read more »

Android's Popular OfficeSuite Now A...

Once only available for Android devices, OfficeSuite has finally landed on the app store. The Mobile Systems app lets you view, edit, create, and share Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents as well as convert them to/from PDFs. It's touted as being like having a desktop on your phone. OfficeSuite supports Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, and... | Read more »

Warhammer: Arcane Magic is Coming Soon,...

Turbo Tape Games has announced that they're joining forces with Games Workshop to bring the turn-based strategy board game, Warhammer: Arcane Magic, to life on the iOS.
| Read more »

Fast & Furious: Legacy's Creati...

| Read more »

N-Fusion and 505's Ember is Totally...

| Read more »

These are All the Apple Watch Apps and G...

The Apple Watch is less than a month from hitting store shelves, and once you get your hands on it you're probably going to want some apps and games to install. Fear not! We've compiled a list of all the Apple Watch apps and games we've been able to find so far.
Games
Rules!
By TheCodingMonkeys
App Store Description:
RULES! is a cute puzzle game... | Read more »

Appy to Have Known You - Lee Hamlet Look...

Being at 148Apps these past 2 years has been an awesome experience that has taught me a great deal, and working with such a great team has been a privilege. Thank you to Rob Rich, and to both Rob LeFebvre and Jeff Scott before him, for helping me to grow as a writer and for giving me the opportunity to write about what I love: playing innovative... | Read more »

Hands-On With Allstar Heroes - A Promisi...

Let’s get this out of the way quickly. Allstar Heroes looks a lot like a certain other recent action RPG release, but it turns out that while it’s not yet available here, Allstar Heroes has been around for much longer than that other title. Now that copyright row is out of the way, I can say that Allstar Heroes seems pretty fun.
It’s not out here... | Read more »

Xplain's use of MacNews, AppleCentral and AppleExpo are not affiliated with Apple, Inc. MacNews, MacForge, Xplain, "The journal of Apple technology", Apple Expo, Explain It, MacDev, MacDev-1, THINK Reference, NetProfessional, MacTech Central, MacTech Domains, and the MacTutorMan are trademarks or service marks of Xplain Corporation. MacTech is a registered trademark of Xplain Corporation. Other trademarks and copyrights appearing in this printing or software remain the property of their respective holders. Not responsible for typographical errors.

All contents are Copyright 1984-2010 by Xplain Corporation. All rights reserved. Theme designed by Icreon.